What a day will bring. Past the end of the day yesterday, and two hours after I'd gone to bed, the telephone rang. At midnight, the ringing phone brings fear to a slumbering soul, and I raced to find out what was happening. My youngest daughter in NY was calling to say that she'd taken her sister to the emergency room, and that she had appendicitis. Surgery would be this morning.
She had everything under control up there, taking her two neices home with her for the night, and would be sure they got to school in the morning. She's got a good head on her shoulders and said she didn't think I should make a bee line for NY. It's a good thing, because our area was under a tornado watch.
I turned on the TV, and we watched for awhile to see what was happening in our area for the weather. We discussed the surgery and possible trip to NY. Of course, with all that on my mind, I couldn't sleep. I used the time to pray and trust God to keep all of us safe in our respective situations, including my other family near the Atlanta area, which was in danger of a sighted tornado. Prayers were flying...for hours, as the thunder rumbled across the dark skies and the lightning flashed long and bright against the night.
Finally I fell asleep, dreaming that we were babysitting for a 14 month old baby in our church. I saw myself clearly packing for NY, and taking the baby with us, as there wasn't time to give her back to her parents. I called them (in my dream) to let them know she was fine and with us in NY, and to ask what kind of formula I needed to buy for her bottles.
I was awakened with a start, again, at 6:30 this morning, again by a phone call from the NYer. She was letting me know that the hospitalized daughter wanted me to call her 'right now.' I did... and she bellowed when she heard my voice. I guess, even at the age of thirty-seven, a girl still needs her Mama when she doesn't feel well or is overwhelmed with the financial stuff this will cause. I tried to calm her down and let her know that we'd work all that our later, that today, with pain, stress and no sleep was not the time to concern herself with those matters.
As I type this, I still don't know what time her surgery will be. I think, maybe, that she's in surgery or pre-surgery right now, as I called her cell phone and left a message, and she hasn't responded.
I know she'll be fine, but I would so love for this to be over for her. All of us have her on our hearts today, and will be glad to hear that she's in recovery or back in her room, and resting as well as she can be, to begin her weeks of recovery.
And so, I sit by the house phone and keep the cell close too. Sometime today I will hear the words I need to hear. Meanwhile, I'm trying to lay my trust and my daughter into the hands of our Great Physician.
To be continued.
